Saturday, November 23, 2019

Unplugging From Social Media - My Advent Fast

Im contemplating a social media fast. Because I'm in charge of it, then I get to decide what that means and what will be most useful... and im allowing myself a bit of time to really think that through... but it's going to look something like this....

I will fast as long as I feel that it's fulfilling me. I may pause the fast, check in, then start again (intermittent fasting).  I'll continue my blog, so you can find new Art, articles and musings there if you're subscribed and interested in such thinks (www.bluephoenixart.com click on blog). Some blog posts automatically share to social media, but I won't be checking it unless I say otherwise.  Some of my blogging might even be about the experience of fasting from social media. Who knows what will come of it, but I feel a nudge...and Advent is approaching...so it's timely for me to explore this further.

I'll note that I've been feeling a big urge to fast from food, as it's a very popular means of putting diabetes into remission right now.  That said,  the medically directed fasting that Fran had me do a month ago actually triggered an adrenal episode along with certain anorexic behaviors.  Something I'll write more about another time.  But for now, I'll say that there's great power in taking an inventory of how I spend my time (taking the focus off food) and choosing to shift the focus in a healthy way....a fast that is helpful, not harmful.

To be clear...Im NOT fasting from my connections with people.  So please maintain contact via email,  phone, Facebook messenger or text message.   I won't be checking messages in Instagram.

Finally, my reasons for this are many, ranging from a need to deepen my contemplative practice, to a need to move my art in a new direction, to a need to enrich my actual human to human connection (which is difficult when you're living with chronic illness), to a need to protect my heart (and therefore my healing body) from the increasingly painful dialogue during this election season.  For me - living with Adrenal Insufficiency and recovering from being very ill with Autoimmune Dysautonomia - these needs are essential to my healing. 

After writing all of this, I think I have my answer... I'm just going to begin.   If there's anyone who'd like to join me in this social media fast,  and together we can grapple with finding other ways of maintaining contact... and dealing with the issues that arise without social media...send me a message (don't reply here, because ive disconnected). 

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